Read with Me
Genesis 49:5-7 (HCSB)
Simeon and Levi are brothers;
their knives are vicious weapons.
May I never enter their council;
may I never join their assembly.
For in their anger they kill men,
and on a whim they hamstring oxen.
Their anger is cursed, for it is strong,
and their fury, for it is cruel!
I will disperse them throughout Jacob
and scatter them throughout Israel.
Listen with Me
Even though all Jacob’s sons looted the city of Shechem, it was Simeon and Levi who went in and killed every male inhabitant of the city to avenge the rape of their sister, Dinah. Prior to that, they had deceitfully organized the circumcision of every male in the city, effectively disabling them all (Genesis 34:13-29).
That action had put terror into the heart of Jacob, who feared that the cities around Shechem would come against him to avenge the fallen city. That didn’t happen, but Jacob never forgot this reckless, over-the-top act of revenge, and he still held it against the two chief architects till the end of his life.
With the disinheriting of Reuben, Simeon, then Levi, would be next in line to receive the birthright and the blessing. But Jacob effectively disinherited both of them as well. He declared that they would be scattered among the land holdings of their brothers.
This was literally fulfilled when the land was divided among the twelve tribes. Levi, later being selected to be set apart to God’s service, receive no land of their own. Instead, they were allotted towns scattered throughout the land allotted to the other tribes. And Simeon did not receive their own territory either. Instead, the territory of Judah was too large for the tribe, so Simeon was allocated several cities and the surrounding fields within the territory allotted to Judah (Joshua 19:1-9).
These prophecies were fulfilled so precisely (as were many others throughout the Old Testament) that many have believed that they must have been written after the settling of the Promised Land; that it would have been impossible for Moses to have known in advance how that would all play out to such a precise degree. But to believe that is either practical atheism or deism, which teaches that even though God exists, He does not get involved with the things of this world. But both those views are 100% wrong. God does exist, and He is actively involved in His creation. He knows the end from the beginning, and he can and does communicate to his prophets exactly how things will turn out.
Pray with Me
Father I am thankful that You do exist and that You do speak to the hearts of those of us who love You and have dedicated our lives to serving You, so that we can know and understand Your will each moment of every day. Help me to keep my ears open and tuned to Your voice, Lord, so that I can know and obey Your every command. Amen.